Upper Lachlan Shire Council Human Resource Succession Plan · Upper Lachlan Shire Council . Human...

Upper Lachlan Shire Council

Human Resource Succession Plan

Adopted:20 August 2009

Resolution No: 338/09

HR 002 Upper Lachlan Shire Council Human Resources Succession Plan adopted August 2009

TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE

1 INTRODUCTION 3

2 KEY RECOMMENDATIONS 3

3 KEY STEPS 4

3.1 GAINING COMMITMENT 6

3.2 DEVELOPING A PEOPLE LEADER PROFILE 7

3.3 IDENTIFYING LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL 8

3.4 ASSESSING 9

3.5 DEPLOYING AND BENCHMARKING 10

3.6 PROVISION OF CORE SKILL TRAINING 11

3.7 DEVELOPING A LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE 12

3.8 DEVELOPING A GENERIC POOL OF LEADERS 14

3.9 MAXIMISING PERFORMANCE 14

3.10 TEAM BUILDING 15

3.11 DEVELOPMENT OF POLICIES 15

3.12 STRATEGIC REVIEW GROUP 15

4 STATUS

4.1 WORKS & OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT 16 4.2 ENVIRONMENT & PLANNING DEPARTMENT 20 4.3 ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE DEPARTMENT 30

5 ORGANISATION SUMMARY 35

5.1 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS 35

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1 Introduction Strategic succession planning will enable Upper Lachlan Shire Council to retain and develop leadership capability. The process also enables Council to identify skill gaps and demographic trends and map out suitable roles and actions that need to be taken. Succession planning will involve the following key steps

1. Gaining commitment 2. Developing a People Leader Profile 3. Identifying Leadership potential 4. Assessment 5. Deployment and Benchmarking 6. Provision of Core Skill training 7. Development of a Strategic Leadership Experience – Special Projects 8. The development of generic pools of people leaders 9. Maximizing performance – reviewing the performance management system 10. Team Building 11. Development of policies to manage, deploy and retain Talent.

2 Key Recommendations The following actions are now recommended to develop Strategic Succession Planning at the Upper Lachlan Shire Council.

• Address immediate and known learning and development priorities. • Develop a scope, plan and budget for the proposal. • Establishment of a Strategic Succession Planning Co-ordinators role – as part of Strategic

Review Group?

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3 Key Steps Introduction Upper Lachlan Shire Council is faced with a multitude of pressing community demands. Critical to our endeavours is the ability to identify and retain competent staff and potential successors. Sometimes, identifying our best people is difficult. One way of resolving this is through, ‘Succession Planning'. However, moving an organisation from merely recognising the benefits of a leadership talent system to implementing the system consistently and skilfully is no easy matter. Challenges ahead

• At present there is data gathered during the Annual Performance Review process to assist in identifying a leader’s development needs.

• There is no formal process for identifying high potential leaders. • People leaders often fail to take responsibility for implementation of existing support

systems. For example, effective use of the Performance and Development Review System. • There are still questions around how succession planning and management development

can impact on specific Council objectives. Given this, for Succession Planning to work, the framework and methodology for a unified and council-wide approach needs to be established. Its features would include:

• A continuing focus on the council business landscape. Development needs are aligned with and support the Council’s vision, strategic priorities, values and cultural priorities.

• The ability to provide council with the right talent in the right numbers at the right time based on current and future priorities.

• Clear definitions of the competencies required to achieve results and support the organization’s desired culture in specific leadership positions.

• An integrated approach to identifying leadership potential, assessing readiness for promotion or new assignments, selecting and deploying talent, and managing performance.

• An implementation strategy that focuses on continually communicating the system’s purpose and importance, fixing accountability at all levels, building the skills required to implement the system and support leadership development, aligning talent needs with council priorities, and measuring the system’s impact on cultural and strategic priorities.

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Why Succession Strategies? People leaders are facing challenges that are greater than ever before. Erosion of integrity, lack of preparedness and increased community scrutiny of Council performance has heightened concerns over people leader effectiveness. Despite recognition of this situation at Council, the development and deployment of leadership talent is either fragmented or absent altogether. Succession management solutions can ensure that

• Council has a strong supply of leaders today to meet tomorrow’s challenges. • The risk of leadership failure is reduced • The quality of promotion decisions improve, • There is acceleration in the performance of people leaders. • Increased trust and confidence in people leaders • Performance improves and staff turnover declines

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3.1 Gaining Commitment The succession management implementation must be ingrained into the culture and practices of the organisation, which also requires careful planning and clear executive accountability. The process of identifying, developing, and retaining leadership talent is comparable to organisational change. Critical is executive and leadership alignment with process execution and awareness of key organisational issues or barriers that need to be addressed. Proposed Actions D-Day A half-day, interactive presentation to all people leaders will detail succession management concepts. The day can be used to address areas of specific need or interest and can result in better internal alignment of the purpose, intent, and best practices for succession management. Needs Analysis One-on-one interviews with Director and Managers, deliver a needs analysis survey, and details recommendations in a formal report. This results in an implementation road map for succession management while building on existing systems. Succession Management Audit/Survey Used to identify the most critical areas to be addressed and structured around the key phases and common barriers of succession management. This results in a shared understanding of the current strengths and weaknesses of the proposed and existing system and provides critical insight into how to make the most of succession management efforts. Benefits

• Getting a manageable succession plan off the ground. • Having an impact on results through an existing or newly implemented system. • Gaining buy-in of key leaders and decision makers within Council • Ensuring a stable supply of well-qualified, ready-to-deploy talent.

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3.2 People Leader Profile Development If Council does not have a well-defined profile of successful performance of its people leaders, it will be impossible to effectively select and develop people for leadership positions. Many pre-defined competency models exist, but the challenge is to define/develop models to directly support Council objectives. Proposed Actions HR/Strategic Review Group can conduct interviews, lead focus groups, and administer surveys to create a profile that is unique to Upper Lachlan Shire Council. The result is complete documentation on the process and analysis findings. Benefits

• The People Leader Profile will provide a business-focused matrix for leadership that is behavioural, consistent, relevant, fair, and legally defensible. It can be applied across all succession management-related activities, including identification, diagnosis, and development.

• A people leader profile provides the glue for integrating related HR systems and programs. It clarifies and communicates the most critical factors to be used in leadership development, increasing the leadership capacity to effectively implement against current and future Council strategies.

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3.3 Identifying Leadership Potential The demand for good people leaders is rapidly outgrowing the supply, meaning that Council must identify and invest in people with the greatest potential to grow into critical strategic leadership roles. Proposed Actions Identifying Leadership Potential involves four main steps:

• Align the Process: HR assist in creating a thorough implementation plan and processes that can be sustained and replicated in all areas of Council.

• Implement the Tools: An easily administered paper based 360 degree survey, quickly collects and reports ratings on multiple individuals perceived to have leadership potential. The survey quantifies an individual’s potential by measuring against the characteristics of the People Leader Profile. Competency based assessments can also be used, and delivered by the Human Resource Department.

• Nominate High Potentials: Directors and/or managers are informed of assessment results of specific employees their leadership potential. Focus is on establishing the right criteria and maximizing objectivity.

• Select High Potentials: Human Resource will co-facilitate and then train Management staff to facilitate a discussion in which nominations and inventory results are reviewed and finalized. Individuals with the greatest potential are then chosen and personal development strategies can be formulated for the individuals selected.

Benefits

• Ability to identify and focus development resources on people who will yield the highest return on investment.

• A foundation for building or refining a succession management system to produce a stable supply of qualified leadership talent that meets an increasing demand.

• Identification of hidden talent and retention of upcoming leaders who value career growth. • Establishment of an ongoing, effective, and efficient nomination process that can be

utilized across sections. • Increased leadership success and reduction of leadership failure or ‘down-time’.

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3.4 Assessment Assessing an individual’s specific strengths and development needs as they relate to the People Leader profile is a key component to selection, development, and promotion decisions. Information and data used to drive these decisions must be accurate and objective. Proposed Actions Many external Consultants can provide multiple assessment tools to generate a well-rounded and in-depth evaluation. Council is able to “mix and match” tools to create the right assessment experiences for new, aspiring, and experienced people leaders - whether current employees, executive or job candidates. All assessments are flexible and can be configured to include the following tools:

• Behavioural simulations and personality inventories to measure personal attributes, business management, leadership, and interpersonal skills.

• 360° survey for multi-perspective feedback. • Motivational fit measures. • Current and past job performance interviews. • Strategy • To leverage the assessment results, the following support services can be offered (either by

consultants, or in-house); o Live performance feedback and individual executive coaching services. o Facilitated developmental planning. o Competitive benchmarking o Talent deployment review sessions, where individual and group assessment results

are analysed against Council objectives to determine where and how talent should be deployed.

Benefits

• Comprehensive - Offerings can accommodate the assessment needs of all levels of leaders, from entry-level, aspiring executives to Executive.

• Accurate - Assessments are designed to assess the People Leader profile, which has been validated by participation of employees in its development.

• Flexible – Council can choose the duration of the assessment, measurement tools, delivery method, and depth of feedback.

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3.5 Deployment and Benchmarking Upper Lachlan Shire Council gains a leadership advantage when the right leaders are developed and placed into the most critical positions. Insufficient data on leadership makes it difficult to:

• Fully understand the meaning of leadership assessment information as it relates to Council challenges and leadership needs.

• Appropriately deploy executives to most effectively meet Council challenges. • Identify skill gaps that will inhibit the ability to carry out Council strategies. • Create a leadership growth strategy that builds on strengths and compensates for skill

deficiencies within the leadership team. • Focus skill development strategies on areas that are most needed.

Proposed Actions By benchmarking, Council can gain a competitive advantage by strategically profiling leaders (individuals and teams) against specific leadership challenges. Deployment and Benchmarking activity may include:

• In-depth analysis and interpretation of individual and group assessment profiles in light of specific organizational needs (e.g., open positions, Council needs, etc.)

• Expert guidance in matching individuals to critical roles or key developmental assignments. It may be that special project teams are also established to facilitate development.

• A comprehensive report detailing the organization’s overall performance in assessed areas, such as business acumen, persuasiveness, change leadership, and valuing diversity.

• A gap analysis quantifying the skill level difference between the council’s objectives and its needs.

• Expert guidance to leverage the analyses for devising specific strategies to develop and enhance leadership skills.

Process – how it might work When a leadership team completes an assessment, individual results are compiled to provide both individual and group ratings of the measured skill areas. Through a structured, facilitated discussion forum, these results are reviewed, in light of specific council conditions, and provide direct guidance on the match between individual skill sets and Council specific needs. Benefits Deployment and Benchmarking enable organizations and executive leadership teams to:

• Ensure that the right people are in the right roles to avoid leadership failure. • Leverage leadership strengths and fill gaps in leadership capability. • Overcome skill barriers for successfully deploying Council strategies and objectives. • Align leadership skills with industry standards. • Prioritise and focus development strategies on areas in need of greatest improvement.

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3.6 Provision of Core Skill Training Proposed Actions Equip people leaders with the skills necessary for supporting the growth and development of others in Council. This may involve providing of all people leaders, in the use of coaching and mentoring techniques.


3.7 Strategic Leadership Experience – Special Projects Just because leaders have been highly successful in an operational or functional role doesn’t ensure their success as senior strategic leaders. Yet typically, Councils rely on these very people to move into these critical roles. The result—senior strategic leaders who are unprepared to effectively deal with the situations and challenges they must face. Proposed Actions Through the establishment of ‘Special Project Groups’ people leaders will gain Strategic Leadership Experience, and learn how to think and act more strategically—to strategize ways to improve Council activities, gain acceptance of the strategies, and execute them to achieve desired results. This intense method immerses participants into situations commonly faced by senior strategic leaders. Participants may be required to experience and apply learning’s dealing with marketing, staffing, budgeting, allocating resources, community consultation and motivating the workforce. They make crucial decisions, applying the appropriate roles, and then see the outcomes of these decisions on the Council and the community. Each participant is allocated a mentor with specific expertise in a different area of responsibility. Participants also gain personal insight—through self-assessment tools, journaling, and peer feedback—into their strengths and development needs relative to the People Leader profile. Plus, they acquire familiarity with derailers that can have a negative impact on the performance of senior leaders. All combined, participants walk away able to target areas for development to effectively transition into a senior strategic role. Process - How It Works Participants learn about the issue, delivered by a member of the executive. They start to build working relationships with their team members and each person adopts key roles or area of responsibility within the Council. Mentors are invited to attend, and introduced. Participants meet to form an action plan. The rules of interaction may be based on the Consultative Committee constitution, to allow participants experience in understanding this process. In working with their team members to grapple with hard decisions, form consensus, and plot strategy, participants gain a new appreciation for the unique demands of senior strategic leadership and acquire an awareness of the various roles. Benefits Strategic Leadership Experience allows participants to safely experience the challenges and situations a senior strategic leader faces. It expands their understanding of critical challenges and strategies and introduces them to derailers—personal characteristics that, when used to an extreme, can undermine a leader’s success as he or she advances to higher levels in Council.

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The Strategic Leadership Experience

• Provides participants with insights about how successfully they apply the nine key leadership roles so they can target their development efforts appropriately.

• Gives participants the opportunity to consult with peers about real-time challenges and apply the roles to arrive at solutions.

• Offers specialized learning where participants can network with peers. 3.8 Developing Generic People Leader Pools Having an available ‘pool’ of People Leaders is an approach which focuses not on identifying specific people for specific jobs, but on accurately identifying and rapidly developing select groups of people with the capacity to be effective senior leaders in any number of positions at Council. 3.9 Maximising Performance The effectiveness of council depends on the ability to successfully execute strategies. While a sound performance management system can engage and focus employees on critical goals, most Council’s fail to realise the maximum benefit because:

• Strategic objectives aren't systematically translated into individual performance goals. • Managers and employees lack the foundational skills and knowledge necessary to set clear

goals, monitor progress, provide coaching, and build commitment to Council. A revised approach to performance management is to optimize performance through employee alignment, accountability and commitment. This approach is based on the following:

• Employees are more empowered and motivated to accomplish goals when they are engaged in the process and have a clear understanding of how their contributions support the success of the Council.

• Training is essential to elevating performance. Employees need to understand the system and build the skills and knowledge needed to develop and track performance, while leaders need to be able to coach and engage employees for higher performance.

• Automation is vital to aligning goals and efficiently measuring employee and unit progress towards corporate objectives and milestones.

• Strategy

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Proposed Actions

• Review performance management system. o Consider implementation of 360 degree feedback component. o Develop Bonus System.

• Effective Communication of Councils Management Plan • Facilitate Skill and Performance Review workshops for employees.

o These initiatives build both the process and the interpersonal skills needed to make the performance cycle thrive. Process skills prepare users to successfully and consistently utilise system tools while interpersonal skills equip users with the ability to manage and elevate employee performance on a daily basis.

Benefits

• Leaders gain valuable insights on leveraging the system to drive performance and on their role and responsibility for successfully implementing the system throughout Council. This session also builds the leaders understanding of key practices that make the performance management cycle effective.

• Leaders develop both the interpersonal and process skills critical to managing and elevating employee performance on a daily basis. Participants are better equipped to set performance expectations, coach for improvement, deliver sensitive feedback, review goal progress, and guide the development of others.

• Individual contributors learn hands-on skills for using the tools and processes necessary for developing objectives, identifying competencies for success, creating development plans, and measuring performance. These fundamental skills engage and empower employees to accomplish work goals and development objectives.

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3.10 Team Building Proposed Actions Provide team building and development days and/or social activities and which cut across section silos. 3.11 Development of Policies to manage, deploy and retain talent Proposed Actions Develop policies that encourage participation of people leaders and potential people leaders. This may include policies that support the retirement of existing employees and their re-employment on a casual ‘mentoring/coaching’ basis. 3.12 Strategic Review Group The Strategic group will consist of but not limited to the following positions in the organisation:

General Manager Manager of Finance & Administration Manager of Works & Operations Manager of Environment & Planning Human Resource Coordinator

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4 Status 4.1 WORKS & OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT Succession planning in the Works and Operations Department is essential and is ongoing. To be effective it needs to be strategic and systematic to ensure the Works and Operations Department’s future capability to fill vacancies consistent with the merit principle. It specifically focuses on ensuring the availability and sustainability of a supply of capable staff that are ready to assume key or critical roles as they become available. The key organisational issues involved in achieving this within the Works and Operations Department are:

• In the Works Section there is a need for supervision training at ganger, supervisor and overseer levels in order to enhance leadership skills and prepare those levels of management for progression. This includes specialist areas such as buildings and parks where opportunity for advancement to mainstream supervision has been limited.

• A properly funded and targeted training program that is able to address the training needs

of the organisation and which caters for skill development and step progression in a timely manner.

• Opportunities for all levels of the organisation to undertake higher duties activities with

proper monitoring in order to identify prospective leaders and high achievers. Also further rotation of higher duties positions to giving other employees the opportunity to demonstrate high achievement.

• Further multi skilling of the workforce to improve efficiencies and to open up opportunities

for advancement for all employees. For example the employment of plant operators and truck drivers as Plant Operator/Truck Driver.

• Continued employment of trainees in the workforce and the proper monitoring of those

roles to ensure successful completion of traineeships. • Continued employment of apprentices in key areas such as plant and horticulture in order

to maintain skilled staffing levels. If funding for building work continues at current levels consideration may also be given to the employment of a building apprentice. The current biennially arrangement is preferred to minimise the impact on other technical staff.

• Regular review of position descriptions to address the changing skill needs of the

workforce and to reduce blocks to advancement. • Maintenance of employment levels that can achieve Management Plan expectations safely

and efficiently. • Development of a system for on the job training using experienced skilled operators or

external skilled operators to transfer skills to younger operators.

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• The sharing of skills in some key areas such as the close supervision of the RTA contract works by the Works Superintendent and the Engineering Assistant to ensure that a high level of service is maintained.

• The need for adequate training for all levels of management in contract administration. • More effort should be made to integrate the Gunning and Crookwell workforces in order to

ensure that opportunities for advancement are not limited by location. • The organisation needs to further develop the skills of the current Gangers and Supervisors

to ensure the opportunity for succession into the roles of Construction and Overseer. • Further enhancement and empowerment of the Workshop Superintendent’s role to manage

more aspects of plant management such as purchasing and sale. • Further training for stores personnel and relief stores personnel in current stores,

purchasing and warehousing techniques and the development of closer bonds between the Gunning and Crookwell stores to improve efficiencies between stores and to provide some level of succession for those employees.

• The need for the development of career paths for all employees that align with the

organisational objectives.

• In the Water and Sewer Section, a flat hierarchal structure is preferred, with team members being multi-skilled (water and sewer and plant operation) interchangeable and rotational in roles, irrespective of geography.

• Also in the Water and Sewer Section, job descriptions and roles are rapidly being made

consistent for each member, with typically one lower “developing’ staff member (i.e. services operator-note one services operator to become Taralga Water and Sewer Operator- I envision in time current Gunning Water and Sewer Operator, Wastewater treatment Plant Operator in Charge, Water Treatment Plant Operator in Charge, Services Operator in Charge, Taralga Water and sewer Operator- will all basically become “Water and Sewer Operators”).

• Water and Sewer Department staff are empowered by matching responsibility with

accountability and providing multi-skilling and training to allow development of skills, changes in work environments, and accountability to other team members. We are getting away from one staff member being holed up in one plant and being the only authority for its operation, we have found this can lead to stagnation.

• Opportunity for the extension of leadership and management skills for senior managers

(Works, Water and Sewer and Assets) so that those roles have more flexibility to compete on merit for lateral transfer or promotion to Director if vacancies become available.

• Continued funding support for external professional training for potential high achievers.

• Effective retention strategies for the retention of key staff or critical roles within the

organisation including the maintenance of market salary rates.

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• Continued employment of casual staff who provide a trained and tested pool of employment for promotion to permanent positions. As well as providing a ready source of skilled employees, this increases harmony in the workplace.

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4.2 ENVIRONMENT & PLANNING DEPARTMENT Review all position in the E&P Department and identify possible positions that are able to progress throughout the Organisation e.g. Review the allotted working hours of individual staff members for the requirements of the organisation to be more productive with the increase in workload. For future needs the organisation should implement a process of developing their own Trainee Planner/Health & Building Officer position as well as a Team Leader position.

Environment Services Office Assistant

ENV05

Environment Health & Building Surveyor

ENV17

Senior Strategic Planner ENV03

Environment Services Officer ENV06 Noxious Weeds

Manager ENV02

Senior Weeds Officer ENV10

Weeds Officer ENV 11

Manager Environment &

Planning ENV15

Ranger

Planning/Health & Building

Team Leader Environment &

Planning

Trainee

ENV04

Director Environment & Planning ENV01

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4.2.1 Environment & Planning Noxious Weeds Department 1. ENV11 – Weeds Officer

• Recruit externally from this department and train up in this area possible future

candidate being Skilled Labourer (Gunning), Skilled Labourer (Crookwell), • Skills required for the position: o Working knowledge of the legal aspects of weed control. Understanding of noxious

weeds in the Upper Lachlan Shire area, their effects on the land and means of control. Basic knowledge of Pesticides Act 2000 and the Code of Practice for the Safe Use and Storage of Agricultural Chemicals and for the Safe use of pesticides and Farm Chemicals. Working knowledge of the Noxious Weeds Act 1993. Successful in completion of the Farm Chemical User Training Program. Developed understanding of the safe use of spray equipment and herbicides. Basic knowledge of and the ability to diagnose faults and make repairs to small motors and equipment in the field. Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills. Basic understanding of traffic control and public safety procedures Current Class C driver’s licence. Ability to read and interpret mapping information.

2. ENV10 – Senior Weeds Officer

• With the retirement of Senior weeds Officer Gunning in 2011 we need to identify a

possible replacement by promoting current Weeds Officer into relieving him when he is on leave and provide him with the knowledge and skills to take over.

• Skills required for the position: o Working knowledge of the legal aspects of weed control, including successful

completion of the legal training for Noxious Weeds inspectors. Understanding of noxious weeds in the Upper Lachlan Shire area, their effects on the land and means of control. Extensive knowledge of Pesticides Act 1978 and the Code of Practice for the Safe Use and Storage of Agricultural Chemicals and for the Safe use of pesticides and Farm Chemicals. Basic knowledge of the Noxious Weeds Act 1993. Successful in completion of the Farm Chemical User Training Program. Developed understanding of the safe use of spray equipment and herbicides. Basic knowledge of and the ability to diagnose faults and make repairs to small motors and equipment in the field. Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills. Basic understanding of traffic control and public safety procedures. Current Class C driver’s licence.

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3. ENV02 – Noxious Weeds Manager

• With the possible retirement within the next five to eight years, of the Manager of

Noxious Weeds the ULSC needs to look at training up at least one of the Senior Weeds Officers to take over his role. Consider recruiting externally.

• Skills required for position:

o Working knowledge of the legal aspects of weed control, including successful completion of the legal training for Noxious Weeds inspectors. Understanding of noxious weeds in the Upper Lachlan Shire area, their effects on the land and means of control. Extensive knowledge of Pesticides Act 1978 and the Code of Practice for the Safe Use and Storage of Agricultural Chemicals and for the Safe use of pesticides and Farm Chemicals. In depth knowledge of the Noxious Weeds Act 1993. Successful in completion of the Farm Chemical User Training Program. Developed understanding of the safe use of spray equipment and herbicides. Basic knowledge of and the ability to diagnose faults and make repairs to small motors and equipment in the field. Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills. Basic understanding of traffic control and public safety procedures and Current Class C driver’s licence.

o Develop polices & procedures, Management of budgets effective working relationships with senior staff.

4. ENV04 – Ranger

• This position can be recruited from the works department but the position will have

to be upgraded to include changes in duties. i.e. property lot allocations. • Skills required for the position:

o Provide effective services to customers. Experience in animal handling. Working knowledge of Companion Animals Act, POEO Act, Local Government Act, Impounding Act, Roads Act, and Noxious Weeds Act & Rural Fires Act. Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel and Access and to have working knowledge of Internet processes. Customer service training and/or experience. Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills. Current Class C driver’s licence. Experience in local Government Law Enforcement. Experience in conducting patrols and issuing infringement notices. Completed tertiary qualification in a relevant field, working knowledge of Rural and Urban addressing systems.

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4.2.2 Environment & Planning Department

5. ENV05 - Environmental Services Clerical Assistant

• If there were a future restructure planned the position should be made permanent full time position working a 35 hour week 9 day fortnight. To assist the increase in workload taken up by the other members of staff.

• Skills required for the position

o High level of Communication Skills. Outstanding word processing experience with Microsoft Word, Excel and Access and to have working knowledge of Internet processes. Ability to achieve a high volume of work output. Ability to prioritise workloads and maintain Councils filing systems. To have an understanding of OH&S and EEO principles. Demonstrated customer service qualities and efficiencies. To have knowledge of the" Freedom of Information" Legislation and be able to apply to workplace. To have knowledge of "Privacy "Legislation and be able to apply to workplace. To have had experience in dealing with organisations and public groups. Previous local government experience. Previous Environment Services division Exp.

6. ENV06 - Environmental Services Officer/Trainee

• With the current role being undertaken on a return to work from maternity leave on a 3 day/week 6 hour day, we need to be aware of the increase in workload on the department and the decrease in available working hours of this position.

• Skills required for the position

o High level of Communication Skills. Word processing experience with Microsoft Word, Excel and Access and to have working knowledge of Internet processes. Ability to achieve a high volume of work output. Ability to prioritise workloads and maintain Councils filing systems. To have an understanding of OH&S and EEO principles. Demonstrated customer service qualities and efficiencies. Eligibility for Town Planning Studies. Class C Drivers Licence. To have knowledge of the" Freedom of Information" Legislation and be able to apply to workplace. To have knowledge of "Privacy "Legislation and be able to apply to workplace. To have had experience in dealing with organisations and public groups. Previous local government experience. Previous Environment Services division Experience. Previous Experience in DA assessment.

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7. ENV17 – Senior Health & Building Surveyor

• The possible retirement of a one of the Senior Health & Building Surveyors within the next 5 years flags an opportunity to assist a trainee. Or promote existing Environment Services Officer into the position on completion of relevant training.

• Skills required for the position:

o Relevant Environmental and/or Building qualifications. Obtain qualification in B1 or B2 to issue approval and carry out inspections of various classes of buildings according to the Building Code of Australia (BCA). Minimum of 2 years experience with Environmental Health & Building control experience and Local Government experience highly developed written and oral communication skills. Strong interpersonal and human relation skills. Current Class C driver’s license. Report writing experience. Computer literacy skills. Planning and strategic experience. Experience in liaison with Government bodies. Risk Management experience. Management of personnel involved in the delivery of services. Budget preparation and control. Implementation of planning and environmental service related information technology projects.

8. ENV57 – Manager Environment & Planning

• With the resent appointed OF Manager of Environment & Planning in this position

we have the opportunity for the organisation to mentor staff in their development of their skills to provide the future leaders. But if this position becomes vacant due to promotion or resignation we need to be able to look at promotional prospects or recruit externally.


o Diploma or higher qualification(s) in Urban and Regional Planning or

Environment Health and Building Surveying, or equivalent qualifications/accreditations or undertaking studies to achieving qualifications. Thorough knowledge of NSW planning and development legislation, including the NSW Local Government Act and Regulations, NSW Environment Planning and Assessment Act and NSW Protection of Environment Operations Act Demonstrated practical experience in providing development and regulatory services in an urban and rural environment, including a thorough working knowledge of current issues and practices. Highly developed organisational skills and the demonstrated ability to complete complex tasks and projects within strict time frames and with minimal supervision. Highly effective oral and written communication skills, including effective negotiation and conflict resolution skills. Demonstrated ability to form effective working relationships at a senior level in a multi-disciplinary organisation Strong leadership skills with the demonstrated ability to effectively supervise and motivate staff, well developed financial administration skills, in particular the development and effective management of budgets, Demonstrated commitment to quality assurance and continuous improvement. Competent computer skills, including word processing and spreadsheet skills .Sound knowledge of Equal

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Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) principles Class C driver’s licence (car licence).

o Graduate qualifications in Environment Health and Building Surveying (if the holder of undergraduate qualifications in Urban and Regional Planning) or graduate qualifications in Urban and Regional Planning (if the holder of undergraduate qualifications in Environment Health and Building Surveying)

o Knowledge of the Building Code of Australia, NSW Public Health Act, NSW Food Act and NSW Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act

9. ENV01 – Director of Environment & Planning

• The Director of Environment and Planning is Council’s principal Environment and

Planning officer, exercising overall management responsibility for the operations of the Environment and Planning Division. The Director is responsible for the planning and management of all Environment and Planning assets and services of Council to the highest possible standards to achieve both the objectives of Council and the aspirations of the community. With the possibility of the position becoming vacant in the next two to five years we need to skill up the Manager of Environment & Planning position or recruit suitable applicant externally.


o Degree in Urban and Regional Planning or Environment Health and Building

Surveying, or equivalent qualifications/accreditations. Thorough knowledge of NSW planning and development legislation, including the NSW Local Government Act and Regulations, NSW Environment Planning and Assessment Act and NSW Protection of Environment Operations Act Demonstrated practical experience in providing development and regulatory services in an urban and rural environment, including a thorough working knowledge of current issues and practices. Highly developed organisational skills and the demonstrated ability to complete complex tasks and projects within strict time frames and with minimal supervision. Highly effective oral and written communication skills, including effective negotiation and conflict resolution skills. Demonstrated ability to form effective working relationships at a senior level in a multi-disciplinary organisation Strong leadership skills with the demonstrated ability to effectively supervise and motivate staff, well developed financial administration skills, in particular the development and effective management of budgets, Demonstrated commitment to quality assurance and continuous improvement. Competent computer skills, including word processing and spreadsheet skills .Sound knowledge of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) principles Class C driver’s licence (car licence)

10. Department Summary

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With the constant revision of the Environment & Planning department we are able to continue to identify and develop positions to tackle the increasing workload to effectively meet current organisation and community objectives. With the implementation of a Trainee Planning/Health & Building position we will be able to develop our own future Planner/ Health & Building Surveyor to take over from our Senior Health & Building Surveyor on retirement. With the implementation and development of a Team Leader role we have the opportunity to develop our future staff to progress competently through to the Manager and Directors positions.

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4.3 FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT • Introduction The Finance & Administration Department have developed an extensive amount of opportunities for staff to progress through the organisation over the past five years by providing adequate support for ongoing training and development. The department heads have envisage that for the organisation to improve its processors and keep up to date with changes in Federal, State and Local Government regulations we need to adopt and maintain an efficient and effective work force.

Receptionist ADF47

Cashier ADF53a

Finance Officer ADF50

Administration Officer ADF40

Taralga Office Coordinator

ADF43

Rates Officer ADF48

Payroll Officer ADF51

Executive Assistant ADF66

Records Coordinator ADF41

Trainee Finance & Administration Officer

ADF47

Manager of Finance & Administration

ADF03

Human Resource Coordinator

ADF45

Director of Finance & Administration

ADF02

General Manager

Manager of Library Services ADF56

Library Assistant ADF46

Manager of Tourism ADF62

Tourism Officer ADF42


4.3.1 Administration & Finance

1. ADF50 – Finance Officer

• The present staff members to progress to this level consist of the current Trainee Crookwell, Administration Officer Gunning and the Customer Service Officer Crookwell.

• Skills and experience for this position consist of but not limited too: o To have completed HSC or equivalent, to have understanding of OH&S principles,

Demonstrated administrative and clerical skills, Demonstrated good customer service Qualities and Efficiencies, Demonstrated Cash handling experience, to have experience in Accounts Payable/Receivable, to have experience in a specialised consumption based accounts receivable system preferably water consumption billing. To have experience with Civica "Authority “software. To have experience in Debt Recovery. To have basic skills in financial accounts, Demonstrated experience in reconciling subsidiary systems. Excel spreadsheet skills. Proven ability to work as part of a team. To have an understanding of Internal Controls. Local Government experience. Drivers Licence Class C

2. ADF51 – Payroll Officer

• The existing staff members that have been skilled to progress to this level consist of the current Finance Officer Crookwell, Expenditure Officer Gunning, and Finance Officer Gunning.

• Skills and experience for this position consist of but not limited too: o To hold qualifications Certificate IV in Workplace Competency & Assessment and

Certificate IV in Human Resources/Industrial Relations. To have an understanding and skills of OH&S and risk management principles. Ability to co-ordinate training programs. Demonstrated customer service qualities and efficiencies. To have a solid working knowledge of Award, Industrial Relations and employment matters. Demonstrated knowledge & experience in Workers Compensation matters. A minimum 3 years experience in computerised payroll systems. Experience in Policy writing & Policy development. Demonstrated communication and interpersonal skills. Demonstrated computer literacy in a comparable Financial Management System. Demonstrated experience in dealing with confidential matters. To have a solid working knowledge in Microsoft Office Suite programs, particularly MS Excel and MS Word. Demonstrated experience in creditors/accounts payable. Drivers Licence Class C. To have worked with Civica "Authority “software. Demonstrated experience in reconciling subsidiary systems. Proven ability to work as part of a team. To have experience in Local Government salary systems and their application. Local Government experience (preferably in a financial / personnel environment). To have an understanding of Internal Controls. Ability to assist with the development, monitoring and reporting of budgetary matters. Experience in grant/funding applications.

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3. ADF48 – Rates Officer

• Council has trained and developed tow possible candidates for this position if the organisation has a resignation tabled but needs to review other candidates internally to step into the position.

• Skills and experience for this position consist of but not limited too:

o Drivers Licence Class C. To have completed HSC or equivalent. To have experience and/or knowledge of Local Government rating legislation. To have understanding of OH&S principles. Demonstrated administrative and clerical skills. To have knowledge of computer programs/ systems and experience in their application in a working environment. Demonstrated good customer service Qualities and Efficiencies. Demonstrated Cash handling experience. To have a thorough working knowledge of Rating Legislation. To have experience with Sanderson "Authority" software. To have experience of at least 2 years in Rating. To have experience in Debt Recovery. Knowledge of and ability to apply Privacy Legislation requirements. Local Government experience.

4. ADF47 –Trainee Finance & Administration

• Currently we have a trainee in this position that has two years left on her studies to

complete and has a year of practical experience as well. We need to look at advertise/recruit externally within the next two years for a post graduate.


o To have completed education to Year 12 or equivalent. A sound academic achievement record. Acceptance into a Tertiary Institution to undertake study for an Accounting Degree. A good command of written and spoken communication skills. Ability to work both as a team member and independently. Ability to be courteous and polite to members of the public. Willingness to undertake a wide range of administrative tasks. Ability to interpret procedures and follow instructions. To have a minimum typing speed of 30 wpm Drivers Licence Class C. (P1 or P2 acceptable). Knowledge of other Microsoft Office programs. Experience and/or skills in the operation of a telephone switchboard.

5. ADF03 – Manager of Finance & Administration

• The Manager position plays a vital link between the upper management and ground staff. With the qualifications and Council knowledge this position requires it would be without prejudice that we ask for applications externally within the next three year portal.


o Degree in Business, Accounting and /or Local Government From a recognised tertiary institution. Four years relevant work experience in the financial area including financial management reporting, staff management and working in a team environment. Demonstrated skills in budgeting, financial planning, problem solving, communication, employee relations. Demonstrated knowledge of

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legislative & regulatory requirements related to key areas of responsibility & financial management principles & practices. Personal qualities that demonstrate a high standard of professional integrity and independent decision making. Experience in preparation of Annual General Purpose Reports and other statutory reports. Excellent skills and knowledge in Microsoft Excel, Access and Word. A class C driver’s license. CPA or ACA qualification. Experience working in a multi-disciplined environment dealing with sensitive and complex issues. Demonstrated ability to introduce effective change management. Well developed negotiation and leadership skills to ensure effective problem solving. Thorough understanding of relevant computer software accounting system(s).

6. ADF02 – Director of Finance & Administration

• Currently our Manager of Finance & Administration has been required to act up in this position. Council as it has undertaken in the past will be advertising externally but all internal applications with the competent qualifications, knowledge and skills required will be reviewed in the selection process.


o Corporate Membership of the Institution of Certified Practicing Accounting or ACA, or qualifications suitable for acceptance to the Institution, or other qualifications or relevant experience acceptable to the General Manager. A Degree that is relevant and suitable to the position requirements. Demonstrated ability in leadership for a diverse range of professional and technical areas in the delivery of Operations. Demonstrated ability to achieve successful outcomes within agreed timeframes, while balancing competing priorities and needs of all stakeholders. The demonstrated ability to communicate, influence and negotiate effectively with all levels of the organisation. Proven knowledge of strategic planning, service operating planning and policy development. Demonstrated experience in financial planning and management, budgetary preparation and control. High level of decision making, problem solving, time management, and prioritisation skills. Extensive experience in a managerial role dealing with change, corporate processes and human resource management. A current class “C” motor vehicle driver’s licence.

o Experience in Local Government, A post graduate qualification, Sound business acumen

• Special Requirements

o After hours attendance at meetings of the Council and other Community and Council Committees

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7. ADF46 – Manager Library Services

• Council has put in place competent back up for this position with a staff member being

trained up in knowledge and skills to take over when the current incumbent retires or resigns. Council will be advertising externally to gauge the market availability at that point in time.


o Tertiary qualifications in librarianship sufficient to meet eligibility for Technician Membership to ALIA. Minimum of Associate Diploma in Library and Information Science. Experience managing day-to-day library operations. Experience in implementing and reviewing policies and procedures. Proven advanced knowledge of relevant information technology, including library management systems, MS Office suite of products and online information tools. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Experience in monitoring a budget and managing resources. Demonstrated ability to provide a client-focussed service in a library environment. Demonstrated ability to lead a team, and adjust to changing priorities and time frames. Drivers Licence Class C. Extensive knowledge and understanding of OH&S, EEO and Privacy Legislation principles in the workplace. To have experience of at least 3 years in public library operations. To have experience in staff supervision. Experience with collection development (preferably including electronic materials). Local Government experience.

8. ADF62 – Tourism Manager

• Council has again put in place competent back up for this position with a staff member

being trained up in knowledge and skills to take over when the current incumbent retires or resigns. Council will be advertising externally to gauge the market availability at that point in time.


o To have a minimum of five years experience in the Tourism industry including

promotion marketing activities experience. To have an excellent understanding of OH&S principles. Demonstrated customer service qualities and efficiencies. To be able to demonstrate cash handling & budgetary experience. To have excellent communication skills both written & verbal. Proven ability and experience to supervise “staff”. Computer literate with working knowledge of Word Processing and "Desk Top" Publishing. Experience in event management. Experience in forward planning and co-ordinating projects. Experience in dealing with Community groups and other organisations. Drivers Licence Class C. Certificate IV in Tourism and Hospitality and or other relevant tertiary qualification. Has completed or currently studying for accreditation in Certificate IV or equivalent in Tourism – Visitor Information Services. Senior First Aid Certificate. Demonstrated experience in stock control. Knowledge of local council area.

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5 SUMMARY Succession planning has recently been implemented by the council as a means of developing existing talent and producing a larger pool of viable internal candidates for strategic management positions (Supervisors, Managers and above) The aim is to eventually embed the process throughout the organisation so that all managers regard preparing their staff for internal career enhancement as an intrinsic part of their role. We have made the process of succession planning a formalised one ensuring fairness and clarity. The directors/mangers assess nominated staff against strategic management competencies and make a business case for each succession candidate, using a standard format. This process also provides an opportunity for the nominee to become familiar with these senior competencies and then with the support of their manager to assess where their strengths and weaknesses lie in relation to these. Nominees are also asked to write a statement supporting their application. The manager’s assessment together with the nominee’s supporting statement is then submitted to the Succession Planning Committee for endorsement. In order to manage expectations and ensure the longevity of the scheme, our guidance material makes it very clear that nominees may not achieve the particular job they are aiming for, but by participating in the scheme, they have an opportunity to develop themselves. Nominees can also choose to keep their status as a potential successor confidential which again is helping to encourage their involvement. Successors could change year-on-year. In order to avoid people being dropped off the list of potential successors in an insensitive manner, we do not place a limit on the number of people listed as having succession potential. By creating a succession Planning Committee, consisting of Managers, Directors and the Human Resource Coordinator, the range of candidates put forward for succession development is constantly monitored. This ensures the process continually evolves to meet demands, that there is another layer of scrutiny when it comes to agreeing successors, promotes consistency across the organisation and is in line with Councils objectives. 5.1 REFERENCE DOCCUMENTS

Human Resources (Draft) Training Plan 2009 - 2010

Human Resource (Draft) Strategic Plan 2009 - 2014

Organisation Structure adopted CM December

Recruitment and Selection Policy Feb 2009

Organisation Structure

Local Government (State) Award 2007

Higher Grade Pay Policy

Upper Lachlan Shire Council Human Resource Succession Plan · Upper Lachlan Shire Council . Human...

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